‘Shop and Share.ca’ is a unique, online shopping experience that benefits customer and non-profit groups alike. It allows customers to financially support their favorite causes without having to donate out of their pocket, and it is a free and easy way for Canadian charities and non-profit organizations to raise money all year round.

When purchases are made through the website (www.shopandshare.ca), a portion of the purchase price is donated to whichever charity or non-profit the customer chooses. We have partnered with over 200 retailers & restaurants so supporters can buy what they want, when they want - without spending a penny more. Plus, all of the tracking and work is done by us, so there is no extra work or volunteer hours required from our Charity/Non-Profit Partners. 

Shopping online through the 'Shop and Share.ca' website not only saves our customers time, fuel, and frustration - it helps raise money for their favorite charities and non-profit organizations across Canada, too. There are no additional costs to shop through the website, plus, many of our Retail Partners regularily offer exclusive online money-saving promotions to our customers. People can choose to support multiple charities (one per purchase), which makes it very convenient for families who have children in different schools and activities and individuals who want to support more than one non-profit organization throughout the year.

As a mother of two active school-aged children, I quickly became frustrated with traditional fundraisers. It seemed like we were always being asked to sell and/or purchase items that no one wanted or needed - just to support our local school, sports teams, etc. Plus, as a volunteer with numerous organizations, I spent substantial time and energy helping with some of the fundraisers, counting money, photocopying forms, compiling orders, etc. And, although I knew I was helping to make a difference in our community, I also knew that there had to be an easier way to raise money given the increasing popularity of online shopping. After a great deal of brainstorming and research, the 'Shop and Share.ca' concept was born.

We have partnered with over 200 popular retailers so far, including Amazon, Sears, Chapters/Indigo, Expedia, Home Depot, OnlyGreen, etc. And, the list continues to grow each month as more and more retailers jump on the 'online sales' bandwagon.  

We currently have about 200 Charity/Non-Profit Partners from across Canada participating in our program and we look forward to welcoming at least 2000 more by the end of 2011. We have Charity Partners from just about every non-profit sector including: Schools, Sports Clubs, Churches, Animal Shelters, Women's Shelters, Arts and Culture, Health & Support groups, Food Banks, Environmental groups, and more. 

All Canadian Charities and Registered Non-Profits in good standing are encouraged to apply for our program via our quick & easy online application form. There are no costs to join or quotas to meet. All we ask is that our Charity Partners help spread the word to their supporters – the more people they tell, the more money they’ll make. We've even created an online Communication Toolbox to help. It's full of pre-formatted brochures, letters, flyers, etc. that can be sent to supporters, uploaded to websites, posted on walls, etc.

The 'Shop and Share.ca' team is respectful of our planet and the people who live on it, so we felt that our website was the perfect venue to not only educate people about the impact their purchasing decisions can make, but to provide safe alternatives as well. We wanted to empower people to choose environmentally- and people-friendly products from ethical suppliers and encourage chemical-free lifestyles wherever possible.

We have also taken steps to reduce our own environmental impact by practising the 3 R's of waste management (Reduce Reuse Recyle), allowing our team members to telecommute (work from home & choose their own hours), using chemical-free cleaning products in our offices, and choosing ethical and local suppliers when possible.    

We have HUGE plans for 'Shop and Share.ca', and have recently accomplished one major task by launching version 2 of our website. Version 2 took longer than expected to complete, but it was worth the wait! With this new version, customers and charity reps can now log in and track purchases and donations. This not only keeps people coming back to support their favorite charities, but validates the integrity of our program and donation system, too.

We also look forward to welcoming thousands of Canadian Charities and Non-Profits to our team over the next few years and writing a ton of donation cheques! Stay tuned as we roll out some new features and add new Retail Partners! The best is yet to come!!